The Elements of Humor (a quick review... )

The Elements of Humor focus on comic characters, situations, and wordplay. Humor often depends on some combination of these THREE elements.

Although we all laugh at funny people and events, it can sometimes be difficult to analyze SPECIFICALLY what makes something funny. There are, however, various “elements of humor.” Here are some of the most important:

1. Comic characters and caricatures

1. Comic characters and caricatures: illustrate and focus on specific features, traits, characteristics, and actions of a person or group of people and make them humorous.

2. Comic situations comedy in which the comedic effect depends chiefly upon the involvement of the main characters in a predicament or ludicrous, complex circumstances

--A character “transports” into a different time period

--The unexpected happens...

3. Comic Language

one-liners...

... Campers: Nature's way of feeding mosquitoes.

We live in a society where pizza gets to your house before the police.

puns...

... I'm glad I know sign language; it's pretty handy.

When William joined the army he disliked the phrase ‘fire at will.’

hyperboles...

“She is so dumb, she thinks Taco Bell is a Mexican phone company.”

"A man can have a belly you could house commercial aircraft in and a grand total of eight greasy strands of hair, which he grows real long and combs across the top of his head so that he looks, when viewed from above, like an egg in the grasp of a giant spider, plus this man can have B.O. to the point where he interferes with radio transmissions, and he will still be convinced that, in terms of attractiveness, he is borderline [Zac Efron]." - Dave Barry, Revenge of the Pork Person